An army (from Latin Armata "act of arming" via Old French arm'e), in the broadest sense, is the land-based armed forces of a nation. It may also include other branches of the military such as an air force. Within a national military force, the word Army may also mean a field army, which is an operational formation, usually made up of one or more corps.

In several countries the army is officially called the land army to differentiate it from an air force called the air army, notably France. In such countries, the word "army" on its own retains its connotation of a land force in common usage.

The current largest army in the world by number of active troops is the People's Liberation Army of China with 2,250,000 active troops and 800,000 reserve personnel. A field army is composed of a headquarters, army troops, a variable number of corps, and a variable number of divisions. A battle is influenced at the Field Army level by transferring divisions and reinforcements from one corps to another to increase the pressure on the enemy at a critical point. Field armies are controlled by a General or Lieutenant General.

Career Prospects

For some people, becoming an Army Officer is a lifelong goal - a journey that is focused on that single outcome. But there are many kinds of Army Officer and many different ways of getting there. Some of our most successful Officers have experience in a multitude of industries, coming from widely varying backgrounds. One thing unites them - the belief that a good career, the ability to do well and to develop professionally shouldn't mean that their lives can't be challenging, fulfilling and exciting. Take a look and see what the Army can offer. Whether it is a long and fruitful career as an Officer in the Regiment of your choice, or an invaluable stepping stone to a career in the business world. You'll be surprised at the variety of opportunities on offer.

• Challenge: The real challenge of becoming an Officer in the Army is being able to work as part of a team with some of the most resourceful, dedicated people.

• Reward: A career as an Army Officer is not only professionally rewarding, but gives you excellent opportunities to see the world and experience things no other profession can offer.

• Learning: At the army you will gain skills that will stay with you for life.

• Leadership: Leadership involves many qualities which are inherent in many people. They just don't always realize it.

• Career: As an Officer you will have a challenging role, management responsibility, a great remuneration package, travel opportunities and excellent career prospects.

Different Avenues in the Army:

A career as an Army Officer is rewarding in many different ways. Perhaps the common (mis)conception of a military career is that you have to be a solider. That isn't the case anymore. The modern military is a diverse organization and recognizes the need for numerous different roles supporting the front line troops. Admin, doctors, engineers, mechanics, human resources, officers, construction, IT, marketing and many other disciplines are put to use within the military. For every natural talent there's a job in the Army to help make the most of it. Maybe you're a natural problem solver, a great organizer or a whiz with computers - a role in Engineering, Logistics or IT awaits you. In the Army, will not only uncover your strengths, but will provide the role that helps you put these skills into practice. Think of it as just doing what you're good at. And what job could be more satisfying than that?

Administrative Support:

Focuses on support jobs dealing with Army personnel, administration, finance, legal, information and religious services. Roles and responsibilities include clerical to supervisory positions. Army human resources jobs can also be found here. Jobs include administrative specialists (e.g. aviation operations, finance) and religious support

Arts & Media:

Covers the administration, communication and supervision of Army affairs for both military and civilian audiences. Jobs include broadcast technicians, graphic designers, translators, journalists and musicians.

Combat:

Involves Army reconnaissance, security, and other aspects of both offensive and defensive combat situations. Jobs include artillery specialists, infantry, special operations and tank crew. All combat MOSs is closed to women.

Computers & Technology:

Includes technical and informational support for a variety of areas. Positions available in computers, communications, environmental health, intelligence, explosives and unmanned vehicle operations.

Construction & Engineering:

Consists of jobs in every aspect of construction, including electrical, carpentry, masonry and plumbing, as well as heavy equipment operation and supervising construction engineering.

Intelligence & Combat Support:

These roles support Army personnel involved directly in combat. They work behind-the-scenes to support and provide intelligence to Soldiers on the field. Jobs include food services, watercraft operators, intelligence analysts, translators, interpreters and topography specialists.

Legal & Law Enforcement:

Focuses on keeping the people and property of the Army safe. MOSs includes firefighters, military police, criminal investigators, security and emergency specialists.

Mechanics:

Tasked with keeping the Army's vehicles and machines in proper running order. MOSs range from heating and cooling mechanics to vehicle mechanics who service aircraft, wheeled and tracked vehicles, heavy equipment and watercraft.

Medical & Emergency:

Consists of jobs in the medical, dental and veterinary fields. These MOSs cover a variety of responsibilities throughout the military health care field, from clinical settings to point of injury.

Transportation & Aviation:

These jobs involve the coordination and supervision of personnel, equipment and procedures for proper transportation and use of Army materials throughout the world. Jobs include air traffic controllers, railway equipment repairers, parachute riggers and truck maintainers.

Famous Personalities

General Eric Ken Shinseki:

General Eric Ken Shinseki :( born November 28, 1942) was the 34th Chief of Staff of the United States Army (1999 - 2003). He is the first Asian American in U.S. history to be a four-star general, and the first to lead one of the four U.S. military services. During his tenure, Shinseki initiated an innovative but controversial plan to make the Army more strategically deployable and mobile in urban terrain by creating Stryker Interim-Force Brigade Combat Teams. His long-term initiative was called Objective Force and the main long-term weapons program he pushed was the Future Combat Systems.

Shinseki is famous for his remarks to the U.S. Senate Armed Services committee before the war in Iraq in which he said "something in the order of several hundred thousand soldiers" would probably be required for post-war Iraq. Then Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz publicly disagreed with his estimate.

When the insurgency took hold in post-war Iraq, Shinseki's comments and their public rejection by the civilian leadership were often cited by those who felt the Bush administration deployed too few troops to Iraq. On November 15, 2006, in testimony before Congress, CENTCOM Commander Gen. John Abizaid said that General Shinseki's estimate had proved correct.

General Sir Michael David Jackson:

General Sir Michael David Jackson(born 21 March 1944) is a British army officer, formerly Chief of the General Staff. He was formerly commander of KFor in Kosovo as well as being an IFOR[1] commander in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as second in command of a company of the Parachute Regiment in Derry during the events of Bloody Sunday and a company commander with the Parachute Regiment in South Armagh during the Warrenpoint Ambush. Jackson was commissioned into the Intelligence Corps aged nineteen in 1963, specializing in the threat from the Soviet Union. He transferred to the Parachute Regiment in 1970 and was serving as a Company Second-in-Command in Northern Ireland when the regiment was involved in Bloody Sunday. He spent two years as Chief of Staff of the Berlin Infantry Brigade, then commanding a parachute company (B Company 2 PARA) in Northern Ireland, where he was involved in the aftermath of the Warrenpoint bombs, later rising to become the commanding officer of 1 Para from March 1984 to September 1986.In 1989 he took command of 39 Infantry Brigade in Northern Ireland, a post he held until 1992.In 1994 he was appointed General Officer Commanding 3 (UK) Mechanized Division and went on to be Director-General, Development & doctrine in 1996. In 1997 Jackson was appointed Commander of the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps.

He served in the NATO chain of command as a deputy to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Wesley Clark. In this capacity, he is best known for refusing, in June 1999, to block the runways of the Russian-occupied Pristina Airport, to isolate the Russian troops there Had he complied with General Clark's order, there was a chance the British troops under his command could have come into armed conflict with the Russians; doing this without prior orders from Britain would have led to his dismissal for gross insubordination. On the other hand, defying Clark would have meant disobeying a direct order from a superior NATO officer (Clark was a four-star general; Jackson only a three-star). Jackson ultimately chose the latter course of action, reputedly saying "I won't start World War III for you", [3] though the point became irrelevant when the American government prevailed upon the Hungarians, Romanians, and Bulgarians to prevent the Russians from using their airspace to fly reinforcements in. As a result, he was dubbed "Macho Jacko" by the British tabloid press. Among his own troops and the British press, however, Jackson had a reputation for being severe and prone to anger, earning him the nicknames "Darth Vader" and "Prince of Darkness". Jackson went on to serve as Commander-in-Chief, Land Command from 2000 to 2003.

Horoscope - Career for Zodiac Signs

So if you are interested to pursue your career in the field of army then just check out these sun signs which are in most favour of this field.